2014 Corolla aims for 'waku-doki' appeal

The 2014 Toyota Corolla is said to fill drivers with excitement as they prepare to drive it for the first time.

The 2014 Toyota Corolla arrived in local showrooms in late August with a new look inside and out.

"The world's top-selling nameplate still offers its legendary combination of top quality, dependability and reliability," said Woodhaven Toyota's new car sales manager Nelson Gaspar, "But with this complete redesign, the Corolla has a more dynamic style and emotional appeal."

"The new model is effused with waku-doki appeal. That's the Japanese term for the feeling you get when you are about to do something exciting."

The new model moves more quietly and shifts gears more smoothly than its predecessor, he added, and there are a lot of new high-end soft-touch materials.

The Corolla is powered by a 1.8-litre, all-aluminum four-cylinder engine that produces 132 horsepower and 128 lb.-ft. of torque, as well as a class-leading fuel-economy rating of 4.6 litres per 100 km on the highway.

Gaspar noted the new model has a slightly longer wheelbase, which allows for more space in the back seat. "The amount of space in the rear now rivals that of mid-size competitors," he said.

The base price for the entry-level L model Corolla starts at $15,995 plus freight and pdi.

Jeff Dveris relocates Park City Auto

Jeff Dveris' Park City Auto has a new address -- 6885 Roblin Blvd. (just west of the Perimeter) -- where he's sharing space with Mike Chiappetta's Eastwood Truck and Toy Centre.

It's been a bit of an odyssey for Dveris over the past few years. Park Pontiac Buick, the 40-plus year dealership on Regent Avenue founded by his late father, was one of two Pontiac stores in Winnipeg that General Motors closed as part of its 2009 restructuring.

After a year as Mazda dealer, Dveris decided to go into the used-car business in the summer of 2011. But that fall, the Manitoba Lotteries Commission made an offer on his building next to the Club Regent Casino that was too good to refuse.

Dveris temporarily relocated his Park City Auto store to a lot on Pembina Highway near Stafford. "The question was whether to stay there with our two trailers and later build a building, or find something else," he said.

That something else turned out to be office space with Mike Chiappetta.

Eastwood also has a service department and does some body work, both of which Park City Auto can utilize, he added.

Park City Auto also has a telemarketing arm. "We focus on credit-challenged clients with need of sub-prime or tier-two financing."

Dveris said the move has been very good for he and his team, noting Park City Auto is now selling as many vehicles in a week at the new location as it used to sell in a month on Pembina Highway.

Helping Hands

Riley Klassen received a "helping hand" of her own in her effort to raise funds in support of Steinbach's South East Helping Hands last week.

On Thursday, the four-year-old set up a lemonade stand to raise money for the cause, charging 50 cents a cup. Her grandfather, Ron Loeppky of Ron Loeppky Fairway Ford, supported her efforts by contributing an additional $2 toward the charity for every cup of lemonade she sold.

"When Riley and her mom, Darci, told me Riley's plan to set up a lemonade stand, I suggested she do it in support of a good cause," Loeppky said. "We talked about the work that South East Helping Hands does, and how it gives food to those in need. Riley loved the idea. I wanted to do more to help and decided to donate $2 for every cup sold." With rain falling, Riley set up her lemonade stand in Vivid Hair, her mother's hairdressing shop at 359 Main St. in Steinbach from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. With the help of her mom, her aunt and her grandfather, she hoped to take in more than $2,000 for South East Helping Hands.

She ended up more than doubling her sales estimates and, with her grandfather's help, raised about $5,000.

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